One-shot Chronicles
by Jochern
Summary: One-shot stories involving the characters in my Star Wars AU, circling around "Chronicles of Talon" story. They are in no too specific order.
1. Order 66 Part 1

Choosing sides

 _A short story about what happened when Talon T'racen followed Anakin to Mace Windu's showdown with Palpatine._

Talon ran through the corridors of the building. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. A part of her was claiming she was going after Anakin sense he had been told not to go and stay in the temple, conveniently forgetting that she had also been told to stay put. One part of her was saying this was the right thing to do. In her heart she did it because she had to. She had to help Mace. A part of her hoped she came in the aftermath and they had dealt with the Chancellor already. But there was a grave disturbance in the force. Something was wrong, and she knew it. She prayed Mace was okay. But four masters should be able to deal with one Sith, right? It probably wouldn't have made a difference if she went.

A part of her suspected that Mace told her to stay put because he didn't want her to get hurt. A part of her still didn't want to believe what Anakin had said about Palpatine. He had been considering her a friend and she had done the same. Had they all been so blind?

She stopped in the open doorway. She stood for a moment and listened. She didn't hear any fighting. It was calm inside. Her ears picked up someone call Anakin's name. It sounded like Palpatine. She swallowed and stepped inside quietly. She found herself in dark room when she gasped.

Saesee Tiin's body laid on the red carpeted floor. His eyes were closed and he had a light saber slash across his chest, from the left side and up to his right shoulder. His lightsaber laid right beside him. It had rolled out of his right hand. She kneeled down and picked up his green lightsaber and gripped her own green saber in her right hand, holding his in her left.

"-jedi's taking over!" She heard Palpatine's strained voice.

The red Twi'lek cringed at the statement. Any hope she had had for Anakin being wrong, crumbled in her mind. That wasn't a statement of a good and truthful man. Not a protector of democracy and the ideals of the Republic.

She almost fell over Agen Kolar's body. His head had been removed from his body and laid a meter of so away in a puddle of blood. She saw Kit Fisto's body too. Two cuts across his chest. His eyes stared into nothingness. Empty and wide, staring into the empty void of death.

"The oppression of the Sith will never return," she heard Mace declare in a grim voice. " _You_ have lost."

Talon sighed thankfully.

"No, no, no, you will die!" Palpatine screamed.

The sound echoing was unforgettable. Force lightning mixed with a grunt of exhaustion from Mace. Both men grumbled loudly. Talon ran quickly and entered the Chancellors office. Anakin stood a few meters in front of her. Mace and Palpatine was at the broken window. Mace standing and Palpatine on the floor. Mace was holding off Palpatine's force lightning attack, but just barely at first.

"He's a traitor!" Palpatine cried out to Anakin.

"He…is the…traitor!" Mace managed as he came closer to Palpatine. Making his own attack hit him. he cried out in the pain of the force lightning.

Talon was shocked that Anakin seemed to have trouble choosing sides. How could he consider trusting that Sith? Palpatine was a Sith and a dangerous man, obviously.

"I have the power to save the one you love," Palpatine managed meagerly. "You must choose."

Talon's eyes widened. Love? Anakin was in love? Her first thought was immediately Padme. But immediately she pushed the thought away, concentrating on the present.

"Don't listen to him Anakin!" Mace told him.

As the force lightning dissipated Palpatine looked over at Anakin, noticing her presence.

"D-don't let him kill me," he begged. Playing the victim, Talon realized. "Help me…both of…you." He breathed heavily.

Mace threw a glance at the door, seeing Talon standing there, two lightsabers in her hands. Anakin turned around seemed shocked but also pleased she was there. His smile dropped when he realized she glared grimly at Palpatine. He turned to look at Mace and Palpatine.

"I'm going to end this," he breathed out as he spoke. He straightened himself slightly, raising his purple lightsaber.

"Y-you can't!" Anakin exclaimed desperately. Mace glanced at him and Talon was taken about, yet again. "He m-must stand trial."

"He controls the courts and the senate-" Mace started.

Talon took a step forward.

"He's too dangerous, Anakin. You must see that."

"I'm too weak," Palpatine managed to murmur.

"I need him!" Anakin yelled.

"No you don't!" She tried.

Palpatine looked at her pleadingly, but she ignored him.

"He must live!"

Mace looked over at her. Talon nodded. There was no other way. With her consensus, Mace raised his saber and readied to strike Palpatine and end this. Saving the republic from the threat of the Sith's return. As Mace striked down, Anakin cried out. He activated his lightsaber and-to Talon's horror-cut Mace's right hand off.

Mace cried out in immense pain and staggered. The lightsaber rolled out of his hand on the floor.

"No!" Talon cried out in horror.

She ran at Anakin and Palpatine who were still on the ground. He started laughing viciously. Anakin turned around and once gripped his lightsaber tightly.

"Talon listen to-" he started.

Talon wasn't about to listen to a traitor. She force pushed him across the room with everything she got. He hit the wall hard and cracked it at the impact. Palpatine was raising his hands and screaming: "Power!" Force Lightning left his fingertips. Talon used the force to pick up Windu's lightsaber the second before she collided with Mace and pushed him out the window. Both fell out, but not before Talon was hit by the force lightning. She held it together and they together, tumbled down the roof of the senate building. She heled Mace hard, refusing to let go of him. She'd never let him go again.


	2. Order 66 Part 2

Returning to the Temple

One-shot. Talon and Mace tumbled out of the Supreme Chancellor's smashed window and down the side of the senate building's roof. They now had to return to the Temple and warn everyone. Sequel to _Choosing sides_ and also part of the Talon universe.

 **Coruscant, senate building**

Talon never knew if she would help them, but she pulled through in the end. Probably thanks to Zataji's convincing ways. The easily excited Arkanian female knew how to convince the right people. They probably would had gone over the edge in they hadn't been caught. But, Seph grabbed Talon's hand in the last moment. Talon looked up. The Chiss mercenary's hand gripped hers firmly, but she couldn't pull her up since she held onto Mace too.

Mace was grimacing in pain over his lost limb. He held it together somewhat, but he was slipping into unconsciousness. Blood dripped from his cut off limb.

"Hold on, T'racen!" Seph called. "Give me a damn hand, Miss Jedi lady!"

Zataji got out of the steering seat and raised her hands. Slowly she started lifting Talon and Mace, as Seph give it all to pull them up. Zataji managed with Seph's aid to get both masters up into the roofless speeder car.

Talon breathed out heavily as she held onto Mace tightly.

"Get us out of here, now!" She told both of them pleadingly.

Zataji jumped in behind the controls and accelerated the vehicle and joined the mass of traffic around the senate building itself, disappearing into the masses. Seph kneeled beside the Masters and grabbed a cloth quickly.

"This'll work short term," she said. "He's strong but he needs a doctor, stat."

Talon let her use the cloth to stop Mace's bleeding. Zataji looked over at them after a moment.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly. "W-what happened to Master Windu?"

Talon looked down at Mace. He looked at her with weak eyes.

"Palpatine…" she replied under her breath.

Zataji and Seph looked at each other.

"I don't understand master. Please," Zataji said gently. "Master."

"The chancellors a Sith lord," Talon explained with a heavy heart. She swallowed hard. "Saesee's dead. So is Kolar and Kit." She closed her eyes and blinked away tears.

Zataji's eyes were wide his horror and fear filled her. Three Masters were dead? The Supreme Chancellors a Sith lord? **The** Sith lord. The one they had been looking for. How was that possible? He must be incredibly powerful to fight off five members of the council and mislead the entire council for years.

"We have to warn…" Seph started. "…I don't know, someone. The senate, rest of the Council of yours?"

"Most of them aren't on Coruscant," Talon told her. "Zataji, get us to the temple, quickly."

The Arkanian padawan nodded. Talon didn't take her eyes off Mace the whole time. She kept holding him tightly and let his head rest against her chest.

"My Master's in the temple," Zataji said worriedly.

Talon finally looked up.

"Master Zinbali's powerful. We have to find her."

She knew even Zinbali wasn't a match for Palpatine. After he cut through the masters on the Council, it was obvious that someone whom wasn't on the Council alone had no chance. They needed Yoda. He could probably beat Palpatine. Hopefully, but he was far away. Too far away. He was all the way across space defending Kashyyk from the Separatists.

The trip to the temple felt as if it took forever for Talon. But finally the temple could be seen on the horizon. When they came closer, they saw gunships, dozens of them flying around the temple.

"Oh no."

"Why are these clones here?" Zataji asked confused. "Master?"

Talon swallowed. She had a very bad feeling. Her mind was filling with a sense of fear and death. People was dying. Jedi was dying. The clones was attacking the temple. The clones was turning. Why and how, was questions she couldn't ask right now.

"Take us closer without getting shot down," she ordered.

Zataji turned her head and looked over her shoulder with grave confusion.

"S-shot down?"

Talon narrowed her eyes on the gunships.

"They're attacking the temple."

Seph and Zataji's eyes widened. Zataji quickly took them lower and avoided the gunships.

"My master's in there," Zataji exclaimed horrified.

"Not to mention the Jedi kitties," Seph added, referring to the younglings.

"Take us in through the hangar, Zataji. We're going to help them."

Zataji did as told and managed to get inside the temple hangar without being caught. The clones apparently was still fighting to get through the main entrance. They had barely gotten inside. The hangar itself was empty. Not a soul in sight.

Talon got out of the vehicle and looked at a shuttle.

"We're taking that out of here. Seph, could you please stay here and get Mace into it?" She asked, almost begged.

Seph nodded.

"Don't worry," she said with a smile. "I'll get that shuttle ready for ya."

Talon and Zataji hurried out into a corridor. It was empty also. But they could hear blaster ire. Talon activated her blue lightsaber and Zataji activated her own blue saber. The two walked quickly through the Temple hangar, with a feeling of death and fear rising in their minds.

Their first bodies came at the entrance to the hangar itself. Five engineers who just happened to work here. Not even Jedi's, but still they had been mewed down. Zataji shook her head sadly.

Through the door came three jedi. All dead. Two of them didn't even have their light sabers next to them. Simply shot in the back. The third had his lightsaber next to him. The elderly Wookie had been shot repeatedly over two dozen times. The bastard traitors didn't take any chances.

Zataji was still trying to accept that the clones was responsible for slaughtering them. Talon felt her feelings was in turmoil. She couldn't blame her at all.

Talon knew that this was only the beginning.

Hurrying through the corridors, one after another, they quickly made their way deeper into the temple. They stumbled across bodies scattered here and there, but no mayor battle yet.

For a moment Talon though the galaxy hated her, because almost as if on que, they stumbled onto a bloodbath.

"Oh god…" Zataji gasped.

In the middle of the open chamber was an Ongree jedi. To Talon's slight gratefulness, it was Coleman Kcaj. Hopefully her fellow Master was still alive. Around the Ongree laid dozens of clones. Thirty five at least. Those bastards had paid the real price for turning on the Order. This was the cost of fighting the Jedi. Only pure numbers had overwhelm the Ongree jedi it seemed. This made both her and Talon feel slightly better. Seeing the mass of dead clones littered around. With four doors into the large chamber, they had probably swarmed in from all openings, and still he killed so many of them.

At that point, three clones stepped into the chamber on the opposite side.

"Jedi, blast them!" a Corporal shouted.

The three clones opened fire.

Talon and Zataji immediately deflected the incoming bolts. Talon easily deflected a pair of bolts back at them, dropping one of the troopers to the ground and injuring one.

Meanwhile Zataji rushed forward and leaped at them. She slashed across the armor plated chest of one and in a quick maneuver decapitated the one injured by Master T'racen. She felt a rush of relief as she killed the two clones. Her grip on her lightsaber had tightened greatly. Slowly she eased her grip and turned back to Master T'racen.

"Nice moves," Talon complimented her.

"Master Zinbali taught me well, as did you," Zataji replied gratefully.

"Let's keep moving," Talon said and quickly picked up the pace out of the chamber.


	3. Rebel Alliance Assault Kamino

Massacre at Kamino

 **Rebel Alliance Heavy Cruiser** _ **Rhino**_

Zataji stood on the bridge and looked out at the rebel ships in the viewer and the empires armada blockading Kamino. Five Battleships was spread out amongst the blockade to provide firepower and force on different places and hold the line. Half a dozen Battlecruisers and twenty or so Heavy and Light Cruisers was present. A few dozen smaller Frigates and Corvettes was placed as defensive screens around the larger ships.

"This is going to be harder than intelligence said," she muttered. "A little fleet protecting the planet, huh? Right."

The Arkanian woman stroked her white hair as she strained her white eyes to find any lack in their formation. But it seemed she was doomed to fail in that regard. The formation was tight and looked impenetrable. Her white skinned arms crossed under her chest.

Admiral Ackbar's strong person walked towards her from the back of the bridge where he had spoken with bridge officers and Mace Windu. They both approached Zataji where she stood. She turned and looked over her shoulder at them.

Windu's cybernetic hand tapped at a console as he stopped.

"Think we can break through?" He asked stoically.

"Why don't they just attack and get it over with?" Zataji retorted. "They must see they outnumber us."

"They know they have an advantage in defending," Ackbar claimed with narrowed eyes. "They are happy to simply wait us out until reinforcements arrive."

They had to assume reinforcements was traveling towards them.

Windu mumbled something to silent for Zataji to hear. She felt a tug at her black skirt. She looked down at Orchid looking up at her. The young Zabrak girl looked up at her with red innocent eyes. She had red skin and black hair. Her small horns showed through her hair.

"What are you doing here?" Zataji asked hurriedly. She kneeled to her level and grabbed her small soft hands affectionately.

"I wanted to be with you mommy," the girl explained with a soft voice.

"Oh, honey. You can't be here," Zataji explained in a soft voice. "You have to go back to our quarter's sweetie."

"I wanna be here," Orchid pleaded and stopped her small feet into the floor.

"Please honey. Just listen to me," Zataji waved a Verpine male over. "Would you please follow her back to our quarters?"

"Yes, sir," he nodded affirmatively.

The green insectoid male stood on a height of 1.8 meters. His eyes looked down at the little child. She looked upset and sad but didn't argue anymore. She took the Verpine's hand and followed him off the bridge.

"Shall we?" Windu asked.

Zataji stood up and nodded.

Ackbar activated the communicator on a console.

"All battlegroups this is _Rhino,_ advance," he ordered. "I repeat, advance. Launch all fighters."

It wasn't long until the rebel fleet advanced on the empires defensive forces.

Squadrons of fighters and bombers left their respective hangars and formed up. They advanced and met a mass of Imperial fighters. Windu glanced over his shoulder as Zataji left the bridge.

"Golden Arc Squadron, ready for combat," she said in her communicator.

"Enemy forward ships entering our firing range," an officer alerted.

"Open fire," Ackbar ordered.

Three Corvettes acted as a screen around _Rhino_ and defended against any fighters approaching. Rebel pilots seemed to cut through the Imperial counterparts.

"There best pilots was probably lost at Endor, Lothal and Naboo," Windu stated.

Ackbar muttered in agreement.

"At least those who was supposed to be here."

 **Golden Arc Squadron**

Zataji's Starfighter left the hangar with thirteen other ships in tow.

" _You ready for this Cape?"_ A female voice asked.

" _You best sister,"_ a cheerful reply came. Cape chuckled. _"Outnumbered or not, we can take them."_

" _Damn right,"_ a Bothan male stated indifferently.

" _Hey, put some feeling into it brother,"_ Cape insisted.

"You wanna try to focus on target?" Zataji asked casually.

" _Sorry ma'am,"_ the Botham apologized.

With Imperial fighters coming into range they opened up on them. Zataji took evasive action when blaster fire was hurled her way. She spun her Starfighter around by cutting engines and immediately turning them on again after turning. She followed after her target and tried getting a weapons lock on it. The Tie Starfighter followed Cape and was skilled enough to stick on him, something everyone weren't. Cape was an extremely skilled pilot.

"Come on, come on," Zataji mumbled tensioned.

A light chimed and the target lock system beeped. She smiled and fired. Blaster fire hurled at the Tie Starfighter and destroyed it.

"Thanks big mama," Cape called, cheerful but tense.

"Anytime," Zataji replied.

" _I could use some assistance here, guys,"_ the female voice said. _"I got three shmuckheads on me."_

" _Don't worry Ella, I'm on their tail,"_ another said.

Zataji saw one of the Golden Arc Starfighters get its wing shot off and swirled out of control.

"Cael!" She exclaimed in horror. "Cael you read me?" _Dammit, his comm must be down._ "Cape, Kya, go after Cael now!"

" _On it big mama,"_ Cape assured.

She helplessly saw the Tie Starfighter approached the damaged and spinning Starfighter.

In the last second an X-wing swooped in and blasted the Tie Starfighter away. Nothing but rubble remained. She breathed out.

"Nice work Echo-six," she complimented.

"Thanks, General," the pilot returned.

Cael's Starfighter stopped spinning and was dead in space.

"Duncan, tow Cael back to _Rhino_ ," she ordered.

" _Copy, ma'am."_

Duncan's Starfighter approached the damaged Starfighter with Zataji and the Bothan, Eshka Vulk'tvo providing cover.

"All Golden Arc Starfighters, engage Imperial Starfighters. Eshka stick with me until Cael's back in safety."

" _Understood,"_ Eshka replied.

" _Copy, ma'am,"_ Ella responded.

" _Understood big mama,"_ Cape said.

" _Copy."_

" _On it, ma'am."_

Zataji opened up on a Tie Starfighter and although she missed it took evasive action and avoided Cael's Starfighter.

 **Heavy Cruiser** _ **Rhino**_

"Focus fire on that Battleship," Ackbar ordered. "We'll break their heavy ships and push through. "Order battlegroup West-12 to push forward. Have Battlegroup West 7 support them."

"Sir, the Corvette _Nebulae_ have taken heavy damage. Their shields are almost gone," a naval officer alerted.

"Have them fallback behind us," Windu ordered before Ackbar could say anything.

The small Corvette started maneuvering in behind the stronger Heavy Cruiser.

Windu and Ackbar looked at the holographic map over the battle. Windu carefully watched a wing of Y-Wing bombers swoop in over a Light Cruiser and drop their payload. The Cruiser started leaning to port and all visible functions stopped. Having leaving it dead in space the bomber wing set a course back for refitting in their respective rebel ships.

Suddenly Windu frowned.

"Give us a look at the incoming from the planet," he ordered.

A naval officer gave a subtle nod and keyed in the requested coordinates in the holographic table. The view skipped and several Squadrons of Tie Interceptors approached. It was a better version of the Tie Starfighters.

"Damn, reinforcing Starfighters from planetside," he clarified.

"Ten squadrons," Ackbar counted the formations. He looked to Windu. Windu returned the look with a stoic expression. "Scramble Echo, Bravo, Naboo and Beta Squadrons to intercept."

Windu nodded in agreement.

"Sir," a naval officer diverted the map to the main battlefield. He pointed at a Battleship on the left flank. "Their bridge has been destroyed."

Windu looked closer. Two destroyed Destroyers and a Heavy Cruiser occupied the same area of space.

"We have to push through now," he insisted.

Ackbar nodded carefully.

"Agreed, but we have to be on our guard," he cautioned. "Give the order Captain."

"Yes sir."

Six Cruisers with Destroyer, Frigate and Corvette escort advanced on the crumbling left flank breach. Starfighters supported them and fought hard to keep Imperial squadrons off their backs. The Imperial ships desperately tried moving to tighten up the obvious breach in their defensive line. The Golden Arc squadron made their way towards it to support after realizing four of the newly arrived Tie Interceptors maneuvered towards the advancing Rebel Alliance ships. A rebel Heavy Cruiser erupted in flames and secondary explosions destroyed it utterly. The shockwave damaged four nearby ships and left two Frigates dead in space and left a Corvette with their shields down. Ackbar clenched his fists at his inability to act on the disaster. Momentarily he felt completely helpless.

"Sir, a Light Cruiser have left the planet and is heading into orbit," they were alerted. "Scanning it, it seems all power is transferred to shields and engines."

"Maybe they intend to ram one of our vessels," Ackbar said.

Windu looked at the hologram of it. The Imperial ships started withdrawing further toward the planet. He frowned and suddenly realized they were pulling away from the Light Cruiser.

"They're withdrawing to avoid that ship!" he exclaimed. "Scan it again, is there any Rhydonium onboard?!"

Ackbar's eyes widened and he stared at the officer. The officer quickly gave orders. He turned back to them shortly.

"You're right General. Large amounts of Rhydonium is onboard," he said worried.

"It's a bomb," Windu breathed. "Order all ships to pull back and have all Starfighters and bomber wings destroy those engines. If we can stop in from moving we can disable and destroy it when we're out of range."

With a nod orders was quickly given and the fleet started slowly pulling back. Windu feared it was too slow. It was quickly closing the distance between them.

"Their engines are overloading!" A crewman warned.

"Full reverse!" Ackbar yelled. "All extra power to shields!"

"Get those Starfighters out of there!" Windu demanded in a rapidly tensing voice.

Moments later the ship erupted in a sea of flames as a massive explosion completely destroyed it. Frigates and Corvettes within range was immediately wiped away by the massive shockwave. Over a dozen Cruisers was in ruin or debris. Many of the ships was torn to pieces and any Starfighter or bomber too close, nothing was left of their existence. Not even debris. _Rhino_ shook rocked and several consoles exploded.

Windu realized shortly that he was on the floor. He groaned and accepted Ackbar's hand. His cybernetic hand grabbed the Mon Calamari mans and he was pulled up on his feet.

"Are you okay?" Ackbar asked.

"Yes, "Windu groaned. "What about you?"

Ackbar put his hand on a bleeding wound on the side of his head.

"I'm fine. I hit a console on the way down. Windu…we have to retreat immediately."

Windu nodded without a thought.

"Are communications online?" He demanded.

"Yes general," Captain Ian Zeeland affirmed.

"Order all fighters to return to any hangar and try contacting all disabled ships. Any ships able to fight has to assume a defensive position to hold the empire back until we can get out of here."

 **Golden Arc Squadron**

" _General, general, general come in. come in please!"_

Zataji opened her eyes and felt her head throbbing in immense pain. She felt groggy.

"Y-yes…I'm here Ella."

" _Oh, thank god. Ma'am we have to go now. We gotta return to Rhino before the empire comes back!"_

Zataji groaned. She saw seven Golden Squadron Starfighters around her. She remembered the Cruiser had exploded and she tried outrunning the shockwave after the explosion.

" _General!"_ Eshka exclaimed.

She snapped and grabbed the controls when she realized what was happening.

"Right, right. Let's go."

She looked at the chaos. Remains of dozens of alliance ships littered the zone. How many had been lost? How many men had died in these seconds? She shook her head and pushed her engines to the edge back to the hangar of _Rhino_.

" _Hey guys-check it out,"_ Cape said.

" _What is it?"_ Ella asked.

" _The Imperials are coming back. Fragging bastards coming back to clean up,"_ he said with disgust.

Zataji looked carefully with wide as at the Heavy Cruiser _Rhino_. It wasn't too badly damaged. She hoped her daughter hadn't gotten injured in the massive explosion. The shockwave probably did some damage to the ship. Orchid was the only thing currently on her mind.


	4. Aggressive relationship

Aggressive relationship

One-shot. Part of my Star Wars AU. Knight Adonis Thedim fights with his troopers on a Separatist Space Station with his Galactic Marines.

* * *

The young and brash Jedi Knight batted away bolts of laser while slashing and cutting the battle droids around him. His dark brown cloak swung behind him as he sped up and leaped ten meters down the corridor and decapitated four droids before touching down. He batted away the first wave of bolts and started gutting the puny battle droids. Finishing up the last battle droid Adonis deactivated his blue lightsaber and moved a hand through his rough black hair.

A smirk took over his features and he half turned to watch the galactic marines behind him. They followed their leader as he had charged into the enemy on his own. They wore the Galactic Marine armor. They carried DC-15 and DC-15A blasters.

"Glad you could join me!" He joked. He waved for them to follow him and he took the lead. "Come on, we have the advantage."

He rushed onward with his troopers behind him.

He arrived in a more open area where two Platoons of super battle droids guarded the way.

"Take them!" Adonis shouted at his marines and charged.

He used the force to leap ahead and landed in the middle of the super droid ranks and created a short moment of chaos. His maroon coat wearing marines was unloading bolt after bolt. They lined up and quickly tried to help their General after he plunged himself into the midst of the enemy. Another Platoon of marines came into the battlefield and backed up their outnumbered brothers. A medic checked over one of his brothers that was lying down with two blaster wounds on his chest armor. Confirming his death the medic moved on to another one. This one was convulsing and groaning. One of the men pushed through two of his brothers and got up in the front of the line.

He wore the same white and maroon specialized armor that the other marines utilized. Commander TR-8008, commonly referred to by his nickname Jal'Kaalar was the senior Commander of 20th Shock Corps and XO to General Thedim. He raised his DC-15A and fired four bolts that impacted and eliminated a B2 Super Battle droid.

For a full two seconds he paused and glared at the general. General Thedim was in the middle of the enemy, being fired at from every conceivable direction. The battle of Thidiyal Station was the first campaign he had served with him for. Before that the two Battalions making up the 20th Shock Corps was destined for General Mundi's 21st Nova Corps but the newly Knighted Adonis Thedim was instead put in command. This was the fourth battle he led them through, all in this system. They had battled on three smaller mining stations in the asteroid belt before launching their assault on the station. This far Jal'Kaalar found his general far too brash, arrogant and fielding very little tactical knowledge. He was too quick to take the offensive and it had already led too thirty percent fatalities in the campaign. He couldn't risk losing the general because of jedi stupidity.

"Advance, double speed, charge!" Jal'Kaalar commanded roughly.

The order was quickly followed without question and the two Platoons of Galactic marines continued firing while charging against the super battle droids fearlessly.

Adonis continued cutting steel and swatting away red laser from the surrounding droids. Seven super battle droids was lying cut apart at his feet. He flipped and put his feet on the chest of the droid in front of him and pushed hard. The droid staggered backwards and into two droids behind it. A droid popper from Jal'Kaalar shut down half the remaining numbers of droids.

The other marines shot down the last few super battle droids and established a perimeter five meters further ahead. Jal'Kaalar stopped in front of General Thedim. Thanks to his helmet Adonis couldn't see the frustrated face his Commander fielded.

He just grinned at him and kept his saber activated. He began walking to take point again.

"Nice throw Commander," Jal'Kaalar complemented.

Jal'Kaalar grimaced. "Sir-" he started with tension in his voice.

"Let's keep the momentum going boys!" Adonis encouraged his troopers.

He ran up to take point and led both Platoons forward. Jal'Kaalar averted five men to take the wounded back to the hangar so a gunship could evacuated them. Then he ran after Thedim and his brothers.

" _Commander!"_ The voice of one of his brothers come through his wrist commlink.

"Report Sergeant," Jal'Kaalar ordered.

" _Captain Iago's dead!"_ The Sergeant reported. _"Were taking heavy casualties! Can't reach the CNC!"_

"The hold position Sergeant," Jal'Kaalar said firmly. "DO NOT fallback. I order you to hold your ground. I'll order the 3rd Company to push through faster and relieve you."

" _Yes sir! We'll do our best to hold our ground!"_

With that the Sergeant cut the chatter. Jal'Kaalar contacted the 3rd Company and ordered the Lieutenant in command to push on faster and assist the 2nd Company that tried taking control over the command center and very heart of the station. He grumbled to himself that the general was responsible for the heavy losses. They blasted their way through an overwhelming number of droids but his men was Galactic Marines. They were the best of the best in the GAR. He had heard many stories about the experienced and awe of the jedi but General Thedim was far from impressive. A distrust was growing between him and his general. He knew some of his brothers agreed with him, but they had been bred to follow orders. Specifically the orders of the jedi. Such as Thedim.

* * *

Adonis finally paused to catch his breath when the battle of the station had ended. They had taken the station and scrapped the last battle droids. He could finally breathe again. Off course he didn't mind the fighting. It had been exciting and quite a thrilling fight. He had lost count on his kill score after two-hundred. Something he was pretty happy to recite to anyone who would listen.

Jal'Kaalar had his mask still on as he was in the command center with some troopers and General Thedim. He glared at the jedi through his visor. Three-hundred and twelve of their men had been killed or wounded. With Thedim's permission he had dispatched a medical Frigate with the wounded to a medical station a few sectors away, deeper inside Republic space. Out of two Battalions worth, close to fourteen-hundred marines-they had suffered three-hundred casualties in this one battle. They had lost two-hundred in the previous three engagements combined. With these losses they would need reinforcements very soon. All thanks to Thedim.

The clone commander gritted his teeth and groaned to himself. He clenched his fists. He walked up to Thedim and unclenched his fists.

"General."

Adonis turned and smiled widely upon seeing his commander. "Ah, Jal'Kaalar! You got something for me?"

Jal'Kaalar took a deep breath before responding.

"I've got the casualty report," he explained.

"Good. Give 'em to me. How many we lost?" To the Commander he didn't seem concerned about how many had been killed and wounded.

"Casualties are up to forty-five percent," Jal'Kaalar said, and quickly adding, "On this station alone."

Adonis nodded understandingly.

"At least we took the station. That's what matters in the end." He paused for a moment. "It will take sacrifices to defeat the Separatists. Dismissed Commander."

"Yes, sir," Jal'Kaalar grunted.

He left the command center and took his helmet off outside in the corridor. He leaned his head back against the bulkhead and gritted his teeth and smashed his clenched fist into it hard.


	5. Aggression ahead

Aggression ahead

After defying the Council Knight Adonis Thedim is ordered back to the temple on Coruscant and Master T'racen propose to knight a certain padawan to Jedi Knight and give her command of Adonis's 20th Shock Corps.

 **Coruscant, Jedi Temple**

The Council had met in the Council chamber. Those who could anyway. Not all masters was present. Grand Master Yoda was there, as was Agen Kolar and Oppo Rancisis. Appearing via hologram was Mace Windu, Obi-wan, Ki-Adi Mundi, Talon and Kit Fisto. They had met to discuss who should assume command over Knight Adonis Thedim's troopers.

"Let them-if only temporarily-join my Corps," Mundi suggested.

"They were destined for the 21st Nova Corps originally," Obi-wan noted. "Before we granted Thedim command."

Talon leaned forward in her seat.

"I'd suggest to give anther member of the Order command of both Battalions," she suggested carefully. She locked eyed with Mace for a moment. This was her second Council meeting and she still felt out of place amongst the other masters. "We have experienced Padawan's ready for their final trials before being knighted."

"Are you suggesting we raise a padawan learner simply to command two Battalions?" Agen Kolar asked.

Talon's violet eyes broke with Mace's and she looked to face Master Kolar.

"I motion that we knight a padawan that is ready to become a Jedi Knight. Someone that have experience at commanding. Someone who isn't new to the war effort. We may have made a mistake when putting Thedim in command, but that is a discussion for when he arrives here for his judgement. His replacement should be someone who have been trained by a master that served as a general in the war."

Oppo Rancisis raised one of his snake-like talons.

"While jedi are not trained as warriors nor tactical officers, we should not ignore the fact that we are leading this war and many padawan's have faced the horrors of command and combat at their master's side," he said. He lowered his finger. "We should take advantage of what the war have dropped in our lap."

The jedi masters in the chamber was silent for a moment.

"Careful, what the war does to us, we must be," Yoda said and looked at Talon. "But…" He smiled. "…have a suggestion do you, yes?"

Talon nodded.

"I believe Master Zinbali's padawan, Zataji is ready," she said confidently. "Zataji used to be Master Krell's padawan so she has had experience with two different Masters acting as generals in the war. She is confident, aggressive but not overly aggressive-like Thedim. Zinbali think she is ready to become a Knight." She paused. "There are others too, but no one as experienced as her."

"I concur with T'racen's assessment on Padawan Zataji," Mace added his opinion.

Rancisis nodded in agreement. "Assigning Knight Thedim to command was clearly a poor decision," he continued elaborating on a previous point. "Master Kaan has yet to partake in the war. He had little training beyond the fact that he was trained in combat, with no command experience. That's the problem in us acting as military commanders for the Republic. We are peacekeepers, not warriors."

Yoda looked around at the faces of the Council members.

"Contact Master Zinbali, we should," he said.

Talon pondered if they could carry out the ceremony to knight Zataji by proxy. She was across the galaxy preparing for the Vorrish homeworld. There wasn't time to call her back here and send her back to Vorrina.

 **Star Destroyer Venator class** _ **Defiance**_

Commander Jal'Kaalar was in his quarters reading over a change in equipment and command. They would change their Galactic marine armor and get a new armor modified specifically for them. Their new jedi general had ensured the specialized new armor for them. She would meet up with them once they reached the Vorrish homeworld. Currently Defiance darted through hyperspace. They were currently over a week away.

Jal'Kaalar had watched General Thedim depart and claiming he was happy was a gross understatement. He was almost ecstatic to see him board his jedi Starfighter and set a course for Coruscant. Hopefully the Jedi Council would judge him harshly. He didn't know how the jedi dealt with disobedience but he just hoped they looked into his tactical abilities. His own writer report from the battle were he disobeyed orders would hopefully be helpful in proving his guilt. He never wanted to see him again in his life. Too many of his beloved brothers had already died under his command, because of his command. He was responsible for half of their fatalities this far. He couldn't put all deaths on him since this was war and soldiers die in war. Some of his brothers would have died anyway, but not as many.

" _Jal'Kaalar,"_ he heard his name through his commlink.

He wore a blue jumpsuit that he had worn under his armor.

"Here, report," he answered with authority.

He recognized the voice of Captain Bullseye. He was his XO and CO of 107th Battalion. Jal'Kaalar himself commanded the 84th Battalion.

" _I'm down in the training room, want to join me? Boys broke the time record,"_ Bullseye told him proudly.

Jal'Kaalar smiled to himself. "I'm on my way."

He brought the pad he had been reading with him. He didn't bother to change into his armor since he wasn't on duty at the moment. Down in the training room he saw troopers from the 84th Battalion running the training course. Spotting Bullseye he walked over to the Captain. He was already joined by Captain Gearhead of the 84th Battalion CO.

"Jal'Kaalar, broke the record with seven full seconds," Bullseye informed him proudly. "Before, Alpha was a mere two seconds away from breaking it."

"When we reach Vorrina I want everyone breaking the previous record," Jal'Kaalar said firmly. He looked at his brother. "We'll show the new general just how good we are."

Bullseye turned fully and looked at his commander.

"Didn't see the general leave," he said plainly. "Can say I'll miss the bastard. He was a pretty good warrior, the way he used that saber of his saber, but-"

"He was an awful superior officer," Jal'Kaalar cut him off. "Iago could still be alive if he had never been in charge."

"And now…" Bullseye narrowed his eyes on no one particular. "…we get a new jedi general. She's a newly knighted or whatever the Jedi call it."

"Bullshit," Gearhead muttered. They all avoided raising their voices so the troopers wouldn't hear. Gearhead had been silent up to this point. "Another put off the temple. Peacekeepers aren't fraggin' officer material-"

Jal'Kaalar raised a warning hand to shut them up. Both looked curiously at their brother.

"Listen carefully," Jal'Kaalar sneered menacingly at his subordinates. He made sure to keep a low voice. "We were bred to obey and follow orders. The **only** thing that matters now is that a new General is on the way and until she proves otherwise, she will be respected and **you** will follow her orders." He stopped and just glared at Bullseye and Gearhead.

Both Captain's stood to attention and snapped a salute each.

It was true Jal'Kaalar didn't like Thedim but he wasn't going to refuse the command of any jedi. This was a war and they were bred for it specifically. Thedim was a bad general, but that didn't mean every general was. He had read up on General Zataji over the previous hours. She had a pretty impressive combat record since the start of the war.

"General Zataji's record is impressive," he continued in detail. "Was the padawan of General Krell and later Master Zinbali." He didn't know why she changed but that was between the jedi. It didn't involve him and it wasn't his concern. Bullseye whistled impressed. "She's quite the experienced tactician. Unlike Thedim she's led troops in battle many times. With both General Krell and Zinbali."

Both names was impressive to Jal'Kaalar. Krell was a great general with many victories under his belt. But he also had the highest losses of clones in the GAR. Jal'Kaalar despised him for that. He had no empathy about his brothers. But Zinbali was a famous name amongst clones for different reasons. Beside her skills as a military commander she also cared deeply about the men under her command. It was a good combination for a teenage general.

"We are meeting General Zataji on the Vorrish homeworld. We gear up, get our new armor and do our job. Clear?" His voiced turned back into the warningly menacing tone.

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"Good," he whispered commandingly. "Dismissed."

"Yes Commander!" Bullseye exclaimed obediently.

Gearhead and Bullseye go back to overseeing the troopers training.

Jal'Kaalar walked out of the room and back to his quarters.

* * *

In the "Chronicles of Talon" _Chapter 24 Darkness_ the invasion of Vorrina, the Vorrish homeworld would begin. Adonis Thedim's meeting with the Council is in _chapter 23 Defiance_.


	6. Pure of heart

Pure of heart

Jedi Knight Naeyla was on a mission of exploration when she came upon a shocking discovering. She decided to bring it before the Council as soon as possible.

 **Unknown space**

 **38 BBY**

Covered by Elderguard soldiers on both flanks. Four to be precise. The black armored men followed Jedi Knight Naeyla up the ramp to the Corvette. The Togruta jedi held a baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Before one of the Elderguards closed the ramp she got a last look on the rocky landscape outside. Carefully she removed her breathing mask. This was definitely no place for a child. Why had she been here? Why had anyone been here and for how long had they been frozen in those stasis pods? A number of questions she couldn't answer. Since the caver outpost's computers had been cleaned out before they arrived any information had died with the baby girl's mother and the Sith initiates they fought. The mother-however-had died in childbirth it appeared. Without much equipment she hadn't managed to survive the procedure.

"Ramp secured," the Elderguard Corporal informed her.

"I must contact the High Council, quickly," was Naeyla's only reply.

The blue skin Togruta made her way through the Corvette to the command center. An Elderguard officer entered the right commands on the holotank. It took a while and Naeyla was annoyed by the wait. She didn't have time for this. It was important.

"Master Naeyla, we're taking off," a Rattataki male naval officer informed her.

She nodded subtly.

"I got it, sir," the Elderguards officer told her.

Grand Master Yoda appeared on the holotank.

"Knight Naeyla, something important you found?" He said. He noted the baby she carried in her arms.

"Yes master," Naeyla voiced, taking a relaxing breath. "I stumbled upon a planet and the force guided me down here, to a base blasted into the caverns. I…I found Sith."

Yoda's expression changed. "Sith. Certain you are?"

She nodded. "Three precisely. Two of them were initiates and used ancient lightsaber designs. Designs dating back to the old Sith Empire. My men and I was forced to kill them both."

Yoda rubbed his chin with a troubled expression.

"Master...there was. A Sith Pureblood. A woman," she explained carefully. "She was dead when I arrived though. Died in…childbirth…"

Yoda's eyes widened and he looked down at the baby girl in Naeyla's arms.

She responded to his reaction with a nod and pulled part of the blanket back. It revealed the tiny little face of a Sith Pureblood girl. She quickly started screaming. Naeyla replaced the blanket around her so she didn't get too cold. She slowly calmed down.

Naeyla looked back up at the Grand Master with a worried expression.

"Sure no one else was there are you?" he asked, staying on topic.

"Yes," she assured him and looked at her Elderguard officer.

He stepped forward into the holo image.

"Master Yoda," he bowed his head. "We scoured the base and located four stasis pods. The fourth had malfunctioned centuries ago, given the state of the skeleton inside. Didn't open and the individual died inside while the other three slept."

Yoda nodded somberly. He looked back to Naeyla. "No Sith survivors than. Good." That meant the Republic wasn't at threat and the Sith was still extinct. "Bring the child to the temple you will."

"W-what will happen to her?" Naeyla asked.

Yoda smiled a warm and kind smile. "Train her to become a jedi, we will."

"I'm not sure the Council will agree to train a Pureblood, baby or not," Naeyla said hesitantly.

But Yoda's smile didn't falter. "Do not worry, perks with being Grand Master it is. Train the girl shall be."

When Yoda's transmission closed Naeyla looked down at the little baby with her clear blue eyes, meeting the baby's blood red eyes. They were filled with the innocence of a child. Gently, she kissed her forehead and cradled her in her arms carefully. For a Sith baby she looked absolutely beautiful. But she needed a name.

"What would I call you?" Naeyla asked with a growing smile. "I don't really know any Pureblood names." She thought of her sister and a fellow padawan she had a huge crush on back in the day. But the poor girl didn't survive her first mission as a padawan learner. "What about…Zee, Zee Zana. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?"

She looked at the three Elderguard soldiers in the command center and arched her eyebrows.

"Ah, errr…lovely master jedi," one of them agreed, sort of.

"Yes sir," the officer just said plainly. "Lovely."


	7. Harsh brotherhood

Harsh brotherhood

Captain Rex, Commander Scorpion and Captain Loco plan for a campaign to liberate the planet of Ord Mantell when their different personalities clash.

 **Ord Mantell High Orbit, One Circle Fleet, Venator Star Destroyer** _ **Resolute**_

1st Star Recon Battalion Captain Loco viewed the intelligence situation on Ord Mantell displayed on the holopad he held. He wore the armor of a BARC trooper with light green markings and both his shoulder pads was light green. He had just finished a transmission to Commander Neyo with the 327th Star Corps. His apathetic brother on Saleucami with the 327th Star Corps. Commander Neyo was one of only a rare few clones the cold Captain considered his brothers and had befriended. Another was Bacara. The trio had a few things in common. They were outsiders in the GAR. Bacara was extremely harsh, Neyo was dead inside and Loco was filled with hatred for everything and everyone. Everyone from the jedi, senators, his fellow clones and everyone in between.

Looking over the holopad he noted that they lacked a lot of Intel going in. that was something he had learned to live with since the war begun. Republic Intelligence was often wrong or simply missed information. It made men like him and Neyo even more important when ground operations begun.

Captain Rex of the 501st Legion and Commander Scorpion of Doomsday Battalion was overlooking the holotank. It had a tactical map over the region they would drop in. Both the 501st and Doomsday was filled with elite troops and veterans. They were some of the best the Grand Army of the Republic had. Groundside, the Sepis had dug in hard. It had taken two months for the damned Republic to scrap together enough forces to head for Ord Mantell. It was actually not usual in this region they worked but at least the GAR was flexible given the circumstances. They didn't even have the full Open Circle Fleet at their disposal. Most ground forces was with General Kenobi on another planet.

"If we land there we'll be too far from the goal," Scorpion argued.

"Closer and our gunships will be picked off by Sepis anti-air cannons," Rex restated his position.

Scorpion was dressed in a black and red armor with a red skull on his chest. It was the insignia of the Doomsday Battalion. Otherwise he had the macro binoculars, skirt and shoulder armor that was standard officer gear. He leaned against the holotank displaying the map.

"The clankers will have a lot of time to reinforce their positions and send armor across the river," Scorpion said. He pointed to the river crossing their map. It had two bridges going across. They had two-hundred meters between them. "Instead of on the offensive we'll be on the defensive until all our forces have landed." He wanted another way but he didn't see one right now.

"Then we take the direct route," Loco stated flatly.

Rex and Scorpion looked at him.

Loco lowered his pad and stepped up to the holotank.

"Some casualties is expected to achieve victory," was his cold and nonchalant addition to his first statement.

"Our casualties would be extremely heavy," Rex said and pointed at the droid positions. "These cannons will pommel our troops to the ground when we land. At least half of the men will die before landing and half of the rest will die in the bombardment and droids advance. This is the Orion Task Force we're dealing with. Commodore Jaeriel knows how to utilize her forces to perfection."

"But a third survivors to assault the enemy," Loco claimed. "Two thirds seem like acceptable losses to me."

"Not to us," Scorpion snorted.

Loco looked at him, tilting his head. "Didn't you lot tons on Kali'nock 3?"

Scorpion narrowed his eyes slightly under his red and black helmet.

"A lot of your men was slaughtered, right?" Loco continued.

"Stow it Loco," Rex told him.

Scorpion straightened up. He crossed his arms over his chestplate.

"No. If he's got a point, let him make it," he disagreed with Rex with a hard voice. "What are you going…brother?"

Loco looked at him and removed his helmet. He revealed his purple backcombed hair and the cold look in his eyes, hiding away a dark secret. Rex didn't like where this was going and knew he had to stop it before it went too far.

"You took heavy losses there," Loco said.

"It was a hellish planet and a fortified droid garrison," Scorpion answered.

The tension was growing to tense it could soon be cut with a knife.

"In war people die. Like yours. Yours…brothers." There was a disgust in Loco's voice at the last word. "Acceptable losses. Better men would have lives."

Scorpion had had just about enough of the bastard. After a weeks together with him he couldn't take him much more.

"Back off, I'm warning you, Loco," he warned him menacingly.

"Listen Captain," Rex demanded. "Get out, or shut up. this isn't helping anyone and we have a planet to liberate."

Loco's face twisted into an angry one from the former cold he usual showed.

"Your Battalion names pretty fitting given everyone's doomed because of you," Loco hissed, intending to rile the Commander up.

"Back off before I knock you out pile of slime," Scorpion threatened.

"Scorpion," Rex looked across the holotank at his brother.

Scorpion met his gaze and then sighed. He removed his helmet and shook his head.

Rex then looked at Loco with narrowing eyes. "If you can get it together I'll have you removed from the Command Center. You got a problem with that, take it up with General Skywalker and Naeyla."

Before either Scorpion or Rex could speak again Loco hit Scorpion square in the jaw with a closed fist. It cause the immediate attention of every clone in the CC. Loco was good at delivering the insults and quick to mock but he refused to take it in return. All the hatred he hid inside was trying to get out. With weeks without action he didn't have a good release for it.

Scorpion was quick and elbowed Loco in the arm to block his second attempt. He clenched both his fists and punched the Captain twice in the chest before grabbing his arm and twisted it around, then delivering a kick in his chest while holding onto his arm at an angle. Loco elbowed him in the head three times in a row in an attempt to get him off.

In the next second Rex pulled Loco away from Scorpion and pinned him to the holotank. Two other clones helped him hold their brother down.

"Calm the hell down!" Rex shouted at him.

A pair of officers from Doomsday Battalion checked on their CO.

Loco wasn't struggling and just let himself be pinned by Rex. The Captain turned to a pair of 1st Star Recon officers.

"Get your CO back to his quarters," he ordered and let Loco go.

Scorpion met Loco's gaze for a moment. He exchanged a look with Rex.

"Stay there until General Skywalker comes to speak to you," he ordered.

Slowly, Loco shoved the troopers out of his way and walked towards the door and the turbolift.

"Yes, sir," he grumbled coolly.

"Inform the generals we've had an incident," Rex ordered a trooper.

"Yes, sir," he complied.


	8. Taste of battle

Taste of battle

Padawan Sabre gets her first taste of real battle on Kamino.

 **Kamino, Timira City**

Commander Abyss fired his DC-15 into the midst of Aqua droids attempting to advance on them through the corridor. His bolt join that of his brothers in a high velocity swirl into the advancing buckets of metal. A metallic thud echoed every time a droid crumbled to the serene white floor. It was just was white and stoic as he remembered from his days here, just over a year ago before departing quickly for Geonosis. He occasionally saw the blue light from the young padawan commander's lightsaber. She stood a meter or so from him and swung her lightsaber to batter away incoming bolts. She used the tactic he'd suggested and occasionally stopped after they advanced a few meters and ducked behind for the clones to hurl a barrage of laser bolt at the tinnies.

Dozens of Aqua droids littered the floor, as did five of his brothers. A droid popper flew passed him and landed in the third line of droids. It took out four lines of droids, leaving the one in the front on its own with minimal support. There was only five meters between them now. The blue and red bolts swirled back and forth with deadly precision, especially on such range.

Seeing the droids thinning out Sabre darted forward without thinking. She just reacted. Everything was a complete blur and she tired her hardest to focus and let the force guide her through. She slashed and twirled to avoid shots fired at her. The sound of a lightsaber cutting into metal quickly grew to become familiar. She wondered if this confusion was what everyone felt in battle, or was she just a poor warrior?

"Move up!" She heard Abyss shout through the mishmash of voices and other sounds of battle. She wasn't sure who he shouted at. Was it their men or her? She just kept cutting and slashing at every brown metal piece moving around her. Then a firm hand gripped her right shoulder. "Commander!"

She stopped her increasingly swift attacks and let her lightsaber deactivate in her hand. She was abruptly turned around and stared into the armor plated white chest with lilac markings. She gazed upward and saw Abyss's helmet covered face.

"You cleared them out," he said. "We should advance to the next junction."

"R-right," she regained her senses.

The Company was already moving up in full force through the corridor. She soon heard blaster fire ahead. The front troopers continued engaging tinnies.

Sabre kept moving together with Abyss, making sure to stick close to her masters second in command. She looked at the troopers around her. She recognized some of them, even though she hadn't gotten to know a lot of them yet since joining up. She still managed to spot Edge and Slime out of the Company of clones. She saw a Lieutenant Ironside gesturing at Gear to fire down the left road in the junction. Gear used his Rotary blaster cannon to rip the Squad of B1 battle droids to shreds in three seconds. The eight battle droids was ripped apart with easy. Being surrounded by veterans, it made her feel worthless in a sense. She lost herself in a blur of sounds and pure reaction without thinking.

"Cosmo, get a move on!" She heard Ironside shout. "Lonewolf covering fire!"

"Copy El-tee!" the trooper in question replied sharply.

"Stitches, get over here bro!" Edge shouted. "Maze's wounded!"

The medic that apparently was nearby answered quickly, "I'm right here, sit tight. Back again huh, buddy?"

Maze gave a dry little laugh. "Funny medic, who knew…"

"I'll patch ya up, don't worry."

Before she was assigned as Master T'racen's padawan she had never seen a clone. When she heard the word _clone_ , she thought of a faceless army of disposable soldiers. She thought they were cannon fodder basically, but now she had faces to put to the word. They were real people. Humans. With real emotions and friends, family and a sense of belonging. Like she felt for the jedi. A sense of belonging. They weren't different at all. In the end she and they was the same.

"SBD!" A trooper shouted from up front.

Sabre was confused and looked at Abyss.

"What-" she asked.

He knew her question before she said more than a word.

"Super battle droid acronym," he explained.

 _Huh, right. Make sense actually_ , Sabre thought. Feeling a little stupid. She wondered what Abyss thought of her. She he think she was just a kid or an idiot? He couldn't possibly think she was a good warrior or even a tactician. She didn't know frag about tactics. The only reason she outranked him was because she was a jedi, not skill or experience.

"Come on," he said and jogged up towards the front.

Sabre followed right behind him. She wondered where Spartacus was and if he would get here soon. She knew he liked her at least, hoping that Abyss and all the clones did. Maybe they were only nice to her because or rank. Being her master's padawan wasn't why she wanted to get respect and friends.

Up in the front was a full Platoon of advancing SBDs. A full CIS Platoon of 56. The large droids with their sunken in heads advanced in a virtually unbroken line and every time one clanker went down another from behind assumed his place. They advanced six in a row down the corridor under a barrage of fire bolts.

She saw Ghost. The sharpshooter was dragging a grunting clone with two smoking wounds in his abdomen. It looked excruciatingly painful and made Sabre fringe. At the same time she almost stumbled over a dead clone. Thankfully she didn't need to embarrass herself to death by tripping over one of their dead brothers.

"Hold the line!" Abyss shouted to the men. He had a confident and authority filled voice. "Get the grenade launcher up here!"

The men up front fired relentlessly into the horde of shrapnel coming their way. Droids dropped but so did clones. A SBD fired a grenade into the clone ranks, killing and wounding up to a dozen troopers.

Sabre reacted first and force leaped up front and swung her lightsaber, swatting away bolts that would keep decimating the clones up front.

"Pull the wounded back!" She shouted as the blur of combat returned.

Finally the rocket launcher got into range. The trooper fired the rocket and obliterated the majority of SBD instantly. But as the troopers cleaned up the rest of the droids with Sabre swatting away incoming bolts two Squads of B1 battle droids marched around the corner and opened fire. But they started falling just as quickly when blaster fire came from behind them. Some turned around while the rest marched on firing at the clones that fired back. Sabre charged into the battle droids and cut through metal, turning them into scrap metal. While in the blurry battle she listened to her instincts and the force to guide her to the right action and focus on the right thing.

When the last droid collapsed with a blaster hole through its back she was happy to see the black armored Chief himself. Spartacus came around the corner with five clones with lilac markings.

"Spartacus!" She exclaimed.

He spotted her and nodded while walking over to meet her and Abyss.

"Good to see you Commander," he said with a warm tone.

"Yeah, really good to see you too," Sabre breathed out in relief. Although they saw each other like fifteen minutes ago. Still, it felt like an eternity. She hoped he didn't think she was silly.

He leaned in closer to whisper. "Talon would kill me if I didn't keep an eye on you." It made Sabre snicker. "How you holding up my friend?"

Abyss looked down at his dead brothers. "Better once we kick these tinhead off our homeworld."

Spartacus nodded understandingly.

"This is one of the heaviest sectors," he told them. "Seps put a lot of their best droids here. Fortunately not a lot of Vorrish."

"Otherwise our losses would stagger quickly." Both men knew that the Vorrish warriors wasn't to underestimate. With their agility and speed they could quickly lose a distance and use their blades to slash through both armor plates and flesh.

"We've identified the Sep ground commander."

Abyss arched an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"A Trandoshan Major named Edensor, bounty hunter from a group you might recognize. The Blood fangs."

Sabre certainly didn't know that name and looked at Abyss. With his helmet on she couldn't see his expression.

"The group's leader was part of the Dekkarun government before we freed the planet."

The Elderguard officer nodded. "Galaxy's a small place sometimes."

Abyss scoffed. "You don't say. Let's keep moving."

As they did so Spartacus glanced at Sabre. She looked for sure like the fighting was taking a toll on her. She looked tired and worried. Maybe a little scared and confused. It wasn't something new to him. He'd been a soldier all his life and he had seen people go into battle for the first time before. Fear was something that was always present in some way. Jedi or not, she still felt it. Just like everyone else.


	9. First meeting

First meeting

Knight Sakiko Ryzaani met her Battalion commander and second in command for the first time.

 **381 days after the battle of Geonosis**

 **Saleucami orbit, 327** **th** **Star Corps Assault ship hangar**

Captain Val and arrived in system on board the Acclamator cruiser merely three hours ago and now he was in the hangar about to meet their new general. He didn't know much about her other than that she was a female, Lahgan-Waleghi and a jedi. He had never seen or even heard of a Lahgan-Waleghi before in his eleven year old clone life. What was most surprising about her arriving was that she arrived in a shot-up Nemoidian shuttle. It made little to know sense in his mind. But there was probably a story behind it.

Val's armor was tan colored with black stripes and different markings. He had a black black kama-leather armor attached to a belt-and a black Pauldron on his right shoulder. He shifted his tan colored feet anxiously. He took his helmet off and put it firmly under his left arm. He proceeded to scratch his recon high and tight cut. The sides was completely shaved off and the millimeter cut hair in the middle of his head resembled an extremely short cut Mohawk. He had four scars on his left cheek from some shrapnel back Christophsis, only a few months into the war. He scratched his head as the shuttle begun to set down. As it did so he put his phase II helmet back on. Greeting the general without helmet on was unprofessional at best and he intended to make a good first impression.

The rear ramp slowly extended until it hit the deck. Up top he saw to his surprise a clone Commando. He had a quite colorful armor. He snapped of a salute that a female figure returned before walking down the ramp.

She didn't look to different from a regular ole' human. Part from her pale skin and the longer pointy ears. She dressed in white combat armor plates, white boots, a kama-like his but dark brown instead of black as space and a pair of red wings on both shoulder pads. It was certainly a mark from a unit she used to serve with-Val theorized. Or it could be a family or jedi crest of some kind. Given her movements he puzzled together that she used light armor. On the right side of her kama, a lightsaber was attached. Val only had one word to describe her. Beautiful. It was the word that popped into his mind, but quickly tried to beat it into submission and toss it aside. She had a smile resting on her pale lips. Her black hair was styled into a front bump ponytail. Lastly she had a pair of wonderful silver eyes.

"Att…en…sion"! He ordered and the two lines of clones around snapped to attention.

The Lahgan-Waleghi general stepped off the ramp and it started closing with the commando disappearing from view inside the Nemoidian shuttle.

When she stopped in front of him he snapped off a salute.

"At ease," Sakiko told him kindly. "I am Jedi General Sakiko Ryzaani."

He and his men relaxed slightly.

"Captain Val, sir," he introduced himself quickly, almost a bit too quickly. Unintentionally he sounded like some rookie fresh from Kamino. He quickly gathered himself though. "Your second in command in the 68th."

"I'm happy to meet you Val," she said warmly with honesty. She looked around at the troopers. "It'll be my honor to serve with all of you. I hope I will adequately perform the duties of your commanding officer."

Val wasn't as surprised as his fresh from Kamino brothers. They hadn't really met a jedi before. They had seen Master Shaak Ti and heard her speaking in front of their respective batches before they departed the city. Most of their bounty hunter training officers wasn't too kind with them and they'd never actually met a jedi before like this. The Kaminoan's wasn't much fun either. Most of them disliked them because of how they treated them and their brothers. Especially clones who had performed below standards. Until the jedi took over at least. They ended the murdering of clones falling below standard qualifications. After serving with General Skywalker he'd seen the kindness and honesty of jedi before. Still, there was something with her. He couldn't-or wouldn't-put his finger on it.

"Honors all ours general," he assured her. "Battalion is ready to commit to the campaign at your command. I've seen to every preparation as per General Secura's orders."

"Very good Val," Sakiko said, nodding. She used his name instantly. Then gestured for him to walk her out of the hangar.

He walked with her and a Master Sergeant dismissed the men when they left the hangar.

"What are our orders exactly?" Sakiko asked. "I was off sensors and comms for a while before coming here you see."

"Yes, sir. She ordered us to report to the siege of Jeddah City. Our Battalion's mission is to eliminate an enemy held city. It is heavily fortified and hundreds of men have already died trying to assault it." He paused for the fraction of a second. "They are shelling the 327th frontal positions, causing heavy casualties and reducing the effectiveness of any ground assault in the region."

Sakiko sucked in all the information.

"It sounds important for us to take it than," she said. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Very much."

"Well then. I have a transmission to make to the Jedi Council. I want the operation to be moved groundside in twenty minutes. Before brave clones have to give their lives."

"That's what we were bred for general," Val said plainly.

She stopped in in path and looked into his T shaped visor with her sharp and beautiful silver eyes.

"Not to me. Not, to, me. Understood?" She said honestly. "None of you are expendable to me. Ever."

The exposition took his off guard and he was stunned for a moment.

"Understood…thank you," he responded as honestly as she had been.

She moved out of his way and smiled. "You don't need to thank me. It's obvious to me. I just wish it was obvious to everybody." She started walking.

It took Val a second to fall in line beside her. He locked his fingers together behind his back. He thought if he would ask about the commandos since it was biting at him with curiosity. In an enemy shuttle none the less. But it would be extremely unprofessional to ask. While he debated this Sakiko turned her head to him and spoke.

"If you want to ask, just ask."

To say Val was surprised was more than true. Seeing his surprise-even with a helmet on she continued.

"I can sense it through the force. Ask away."

"Eh, It's not my business general," he said stoically.

"Okay," she shrugged. "If you insist. But…totally for no reason, I assisted a team of Republic Commandos before getting here. Delta Squad specifically. We attacked a Separatist factory. Afraid rest is top secret." She continued looking at Val and smirked.

Val did his best to keep staring into the junction dividing the corridor in two ahead of them.


	10. There are always hope

There are always hope

 **18 BBY**

 **Star Destroyer** _ **Oblivion**_ **, Thermodia system, behind 1** **st** **moon**

Mace put his dark brown robes on. He looked down to the desk and grabbed his mechanical hand. He slowly attached it to his limbless right hand. He had gotten used to the touch on the mechanical cold hand. He quietly cleared his throat and looked over to the bed. Talon was still lying there, buried under the blue covers. Mace heard a gurgling noise from the crib and sneaked over. He smiled as he looked at the little Twi'lek girl. The baby girl's lekku twitched slightly as she wailed her arms playfully.

She raised her tiny right red skinned hand and wagged her fingers in the air. Her red eyes looked up at her daddy. Mace thought about her red eyes for a moment. She had neither gotten his brown ones, or Talon's beautiful violet ones. But red. Oh well, they were beautiful.

He leaned down and patted the little baby girls forehead before kissing the same spot. She mumbled something incomprehensibly and burped. He smiled and straightened his back.

"Sleep tight," he whispered. "Times just 0500 yet."

He left their quarters and closed the door behind him. It was quiet. Extremely quiet. Just two years ago these same corridors were filled with clone troopers carrying out different tasks. _Oblivion_ had been a Star Destroyer that had been build and handed to the 81st Legion. It partook in the carnage of the Baurough campaign. It also partook in the Battle of Coruscant, plus everything in between. Talon had decorated the ship's crew and spoke very highly of their action.

Mace walked into an elevator and made his way onto the command center of the starship. Seven people were present. The ship had a skeleton crew operating it, compared to the original crew. Two of them were Zabrak, one was a Geonosian, and two human with one being Nemoidian.

"Master Windu," they greeted him.

The doors from the bridge opened and a woman in a red Mandalorian armor walked into the CC. She spotted Mace quickly and nodded.

"Master Jedi, good to see you awake," she said. "Slept tight? Comfy and warm?" She asked smirking.

Mace ignored her latter comment.

"How's Warlord Danaria's supplies coming along?"

The red armored woman leaned against the strategic holographic table.

"Everything should be on board in about an hour. Munitions, food, weapons and Starfighters. She gave us one squadron of twelve Vulture droids. Maybe Vlad could reprogram them, huh."

Mace nodded.

"I'm sure he could."

The woman titled her head.

"Still look kinda tired. Sae-ty kept you up?"

Mace shook his head.

"She slept like a rock all night. Thankfully."

The woman removed her helmet.

"So…anything else kept you from sleeping? Some nightly activities, huh?" She arched her eyebrows playfully. "Huh, Mace? Come on, you can tell me."

Mace rolled his eyes.

"You think of nothing else?" He questioned.

The woman shrugged. Under the helmet was a blue skinned Chiss. Her right red eye were covered by strains of her black hair. The majority of her black hair were fixed into a braided thick ponytail in her back. She leaned backwards on the holo table.

"Gotta think of something fun here. Haven't had much action for the last few months. Moving from system to system gathering supplies, talking to people and establishing four bases." She paused and raised her red gantlet hands. "Not saying it's not good work, just slow."

"We can't fight the empire without support or supplies," Mace told her flatly.

She waved him off. "Yeah, yeah I know. You've said in a thousand times."

"And I'll keep doing it until you listen."

She groaned. "I'll go check on Vlad. Tell him about the Vulture squadron."

She walked past Mace.

"You do that, Seph."

With helmet under arm she walked out. In a corridor moments later she met Talon. She gave a mock two finger salute while walking. The red skinned Twi'lek yawned and nodded back. She saw she was carrying Sae-ty. The little red skinned Twi'lek's head rested on her mom's arm. She was tugged into a white cloth.

Seph smiled.

"She's quiet adorable ma'am," she said. "Good job."

Talon giggled slightly. She lowered her head and raised Sae-ty. She cuddled her head with hers. The baby girl giggled and wagged her hands, touching her mom's face playfully. Talon gently removed the cloth and kissed her stomach. Sae-ty giggled and wiggled in her mom's arms. Talon looked up at Seph.

"Wanna hold her?"

The mercenary blinked.

"Wh-what?" She finally managed to say.

"You…wanna…hold…her?" Talon asked as slowly as possible.

Seph didn't seem to notice the jab at her hearing comprehension and stared at Sae-ty. She had never held a baby before. Least a jedi's baby. What if she dropped the little thing? It looked like it she was trying to wiggle out of Talon and Mace's grip every time she saw them carrying her.

"I-I-I-" she started stuttering. She felt way more nervous than she should be. She was a mercenary, and a fraggin' baby freaked her out!

Talon decided for her and handed Sae-ty over. Before Seph knew it, she was holding the little marvel of cuteness. She looked down at the baby, its red eyes looking up at her widely with curiosity. Seph looked at Talon hesitantly. Talon simply smiled encouragingly.

"She's curious. She's trying to figure out who this new person looking down at her is."

Seph looked down on the wide eyes. She gently lowered her hand, letting the girl grabbed her index finger with her entire hand. A smile spread across Seph's features. Sae-ty was so adorably cute. Every movement and every sound she made was adorable.

Talon smiled as she looked at Seph. Her friend was as caught in a spell. Unable to look away from the baby girl. She remembered how she had met the mercenary years ago. It had been one year into the Clone Wars and they didn't exactly click immediately. She did kinda, kinda threaten to kill Seph on the spot.

Seph looked up.

"I, uh…should get g-going, eh…" she said, glancing between Sae-ty and Talon. "Gotta talk to Vlad. Um-uh-yeah, yeah." She slowly handed Sae-ty back to Talon. She cried in protest when Seph pulled her finger away. Talon gently lowered her hand and let the baby girl grabbed her finger and put it in her mouth. She calmed down as she sucked on her mom's finger. Talon made her way to the command center and was happy to find Mace there.

He turned around when he heard Sae-ty's giggling mixed with gurgling. He came to meet them and patted Sae-ty's head with a finger.

"I woke you up?"

"No," Talon replied honestly. She looked down at Sae-ty and smirked. "She did. She decided she wanted attention. Wasn't hungry, didn't need to go, just attention."

Mace chuckled.

"Least she slept all night. First time in, what? Three months?"

Talon yawned. "Something like that. Anyway, wanted to check if you were hungry. We could get breakfast."

Mace arched an eyebrow and pointed at his commlink.

"Ever heard of one of these. Great things. You can-" he put on a surprised expression and whispered: "-talk to people who aren't there."

Talon put on a mock frown.

"Wiseass."

Mace chuckled and spun her around and put a hand on her back.

"Let's go have breakfast."

 **18 BBY**

 **Tatooine, unnamed village thirty-eight kilometers from Anchorhead**

The Lahgan-Waleghi female leaned against the tan rock wall of the farming village's main house. She was dressed in a beige cloak with a hood she had lowered behind her and she had the same white armored boots she wore during the Clone Wars. She also had her brown kama. She had allowed her black hair to grow three times as long as before. It reached down just to within two decimeters of her butt. She looked at the group of men walking into the village with her pretty silver eyes. Her skin was pale, just like any other Lahgan-Waleghi.

She headed out to meet them when they entered the village.

"How did it go?" She asked the white bearded human up front. He had simple and cheap blaster rifle hanging over his back. Although she asked him, her eyes wandered to her beloved who also was in the group.

"I think we showed them something," the bearded man answered positively. He stopped as others came to greet them. Wives, fiancés, children or just friends. While six of them were humans, one was Weequay, a Toydarian, two Rodian brothers and a clone-or human as far as the others knew. They had never seen a clone before and didn't know that the brown eyes, black shoulder long hair and fitting bearded belonged to one. To be fair, most clones could probably not recognize him either. But Sakiko certainly did.

The bearded man put a firm and friendly hand on-former-Captain Val's shoulder and said, "Val without a doubt has a lot of skill with that rifle," he told everyone and pointed to the long dark brown musket-like blaster rifle. "Those damn Tusken Raiders will think twice before attacking us again."

The people drew a sigh of relief that the Tusken group wasn't going to attack them again. They had tried two days ago but failed. A few farmers was injured so they decided to go after them before they could attack again. They had been gone for almost two days, tracking them down.

"I don't know what we would have done if you two hadn't been here," the man told Val and Sakiko.

"We just want to do our piece, pull our weight and help," Val said simply.

The man chuckled. "Well lad, you did that and more. Now go spend time with your fiancé." He slapped him in the back encouragingly.

Val had abandoned his clone armor just after they escaped the Acclamator and gotten away from Sakiko's troops-his brothers. He had been so lucky that he trusted Rex to take the damn inhibitor chip out of his head when he did. Otherwise…he didn't even want to think about it. It was too painful to even think about how close he was too losing her. He walked over to her and she embraced him.

"I missed you," she said lovingly and pressed her pale lips against his. He pressed back and put his arms around her back, pulling her a little closer.

"I missed you too Sakiko," he said with a warm and gentle voice.

Val was dressed in dark brown trousers, his black kama and a dark brown robe. Including his beard and long hair, he didn't look like any clone Sakiko had ever seen. Which was the point. Hiding in Hutt Cartel space had seemed a great idea. It was outside the Empire's reach and the Imperial senate would never think to anger the Hutt's and provoke another galactic war. The scars from the Clone Wars wasn't close to healing.

No. for the moment this miserable existence was enough. They were safe to plan and consider their future. At least they both knew they wanted to share it with each other.


	11. Nightmares

Nightmare

Sakiko and Val hide on Tatooine after escaping the fate of many other jedi.

 **18 BBY**

 **Tatooine, unnamed village thirty-eight kilometers from Anchorhead**

Val had turned from disliking the heat to almost enjoying it after months of hiding on the desert planet. That was more than Sakiko had done. She deeply disliked the heat. Right now he was dressed in only a pair of light grey pants as he fixed some caf to the breakfast. He had bred and some local vegetables he couldn't name. It was a meager living, but surpassed military rations a hundred fold as far as his taste buds was concerned. He had considered cutting his long hair and thick black beard but Sakiko insisted he keep it, claiming it made him even more handsome. It also hid that he was a clone.

In their bedroom Sakiko twisted and turned in her sleep.

 _Standing in the command center of the Assault ship she heard the doors slid open and footsteps enter through. Specifically four of them. One of them was Lieutenant Hound. She didn't think much of them yet._

" _If we land two kilometers away we won't need to worry about their anti-air cannons," Sakiko told her Battalion Captain._

 _Val put his hands on the holotank's side. "Then the capital ship may escape into orbit."_

" _Yes, but I'm willing to take the risk. Our losses will be high otherwise, and I'm not willing to lose half my Battalion," Sakiko was adamant in her position. It was something her troops adored about her. Val had never met a jedi who cared more for his or her troops then her. That included his time in the 501_ _st_ _._

 _Sakiko frowned. She felt a strange malice through the force. It came from the clones approaching behind her. It cause her to turn around._

" _Hound, is everything alright?"_

 _The tan armored lieutenant stopped three meters from her, gripping his blaster. Val straightened up and felt suspicion fall over him. He slowly reached for his DC-17 blaster pistol._

" _Hound?" He inquired._

 _Without a word Hound and his compatriots raised their blasters and opened fire._

Val jumped to his sense when her sudden scream brought him out of his thoughts. He ran from the little kitchen down the short hall and into the bedroom as fast as his legs could carry him. When he slammed the thin wood door open he found Sakiko sitting upright, panting heavily.

"W-what is it?! Are you alright?" He inquired as quickly his mouth to spit the words out into a coherent sentence. His heart was beating extremely fast.

He sat down in the bed beside her and put his arms around her, pulling her in. He gently caressed the hair going down her back. Fully stretched out without the ponytail it reached her butt and almost past it by. Like his hair and beard, she had let hers grow. Minus the bear, obviously.

"Another nightmare?" He asked, calming down somewhat when he knew she wasn't in danger.

She swallowed hard. "I-I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to scare you."

She held onto him hard and rested her head against his bare chest. For a second he thought about claiming she didn't but lying to a jedi was an awful idea. It wouldn't last long. He kept caressing her bare back gently.

"It's okay honey. I'm just glad you're alright," he said as soothingly as he could. "Do you want to talk about it? Was it the temple?"

She shook her head. Although she hadn't seen the temple slaughter she could easily imagine how her fellow jedi, even the children was massacred in cold blood. Everyone she had ever known was virtually dead. Almost everyone. She had no idea how many had survived. She knew Masters Windu and T'racen was alive. But as far as she knew they were the only surviving member of the Council. Last she heard the clones was hunting down the remaining jedi. And that was months ago so it might not be a lot alive.

"N-no…it…it was back on the ship."

Val closed his eyes and kissed the top of her black haired head.

"It's all over," he whispered in her pale pointy ear.

She shoved his chest away slightly and locked eyes with him.

"But it isn't!" She exclaimed. "We are hiding on a Hutt controlled planet to avoid being hunted down and butchered by those I ones called family. We'll never be truly safe!" A glare spread over her features.

"If we stay out of Imperial space, it'll be okay. This isn't the GAR but you have to admit the foods a lot better."

She snickered lightly. "Yeah. True." Her glare died down and she smiled.

Sakiko hated her constant nightmares. She was like the force didn't want her to move on and forget that her life turned on its head. As if she could forget that the people who raised her in the temple was dead. She didn't know how she would have manage to survive without Val. Relaxing completely, she rested with his arms around her and breathed out. She wasn't sure how long they sat in silence before Val finally spoke.

"How about we get some breakfast, huh? I put some caf on."

"I…guess I could use some," Sakiko mused.

They walked through the tan colored house till they reached the kitchen and Val offered Sakiko a seat while he prepared the breakfast. It wasn't anything spectacular but simply being in each other's presence could make anything better. When he sat down Sakiko smiled lovingly.

"What would I do without you?" She asked, sighing happily.

He shrugged lightly. "Make your own breakfast."

"You know that wasn't what I meant."

"Yeah. Sorry Sakiko."

She sighed and looked down.

"Val?"

He reached over the table to hold her hand.

"What is it?" He asked affectionately.

She looked up and into his brown handsome eyes. She was worrying about him. Her species lived for centuries, but he was aging twice that of a normal human-a species that didn't like very long in the first place, by Lahgan-Waleghi standards. He would die way before she did, and that scared her. She would outlive him by centuries. Tears filled her eyes just by thinking about it.

He was surprised and worried when he saw her tearing up. He got up and came over to her side and embraced her from behind.

"What's wrong?"

She placed her hands on his arms and leaned her head back against him.

"I…I can't, lose you, Val," she managed through tears and a shaking voice.

He kissed her neck. "You won't. I promise." He held her tighter. "It'll be okay."


	12. Another sudden change

Another sudden change

 **18 BBY**

 **Tatooine, unnamed village thirty-eight kilometers from Anchorhead**

Sakiko wiped sweat from her pale forehead and her silver eyes looked at the field she had yet to sow. The villagers didn't have any tech that could help sowing their fields, which made it an exhausted process. She panted heavily as the hot noon just grew hotter under the planets twin suns. They had been here for several months since they arrived in the village and she was growing to hate it more and more. This labor and low tech place wasn't how she wanted to live out her very long Lahgan-Waleghi life.

She looked around for her-for three days now-husband. The little 'wedding' had been way smaller then she had thought. But how she married Val wasn't nearly as important as marrying him. It wasn't heard picking a last name. As a clone he didn't actually have one and he loved the sound of Val Ryzaani. So did she. It had a lovely ring to it.

"Hey, Sakiko!" Val shouted from a distance.

She turned around and saw him walking out into the field thirty meters away from her. As he approached she put her hands on her hips and frowned. When he came closer the long bearded clone realized he was in trouble.

"Oh dear." He put on his most handsome face-semi hidden by long hair and beard-and stretched his armed out to his sides. "Hi my love. I'm…eh, astonished by your beauty every time I lay eyes on you."

"Uh-huh." She wasn't letting him slip through. "Where the hell have you been? I've spent two hours here sowing with the others. Where. Have. You been?"

Val scratched the back of his head. "I…it wasn't my fault though. It, it was Bock, really!"

She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh really?"

"He and some of the guys tasted his moonshine. What can I say honey?"

He stepped close and pressed his lips against her in a light kiss. She wasn't accepting his excuse, but his apology felt really good and was fantastic as his lips pressed against her pale counterpart.

"Apology accepted." Her voice a mere whisper. "But the excuse is bull."

"I'll take that," Val answered with a smile. He looked down at his two decimeter shorter wife.

For a moment they just looked at each other in silence and held hands. They ignored all the farmers milling around them in the same field. Sakiko closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest. Only a light beige tunic separated their skin from touching. There was a single thought on her mind. While she thought it would make him overjoyed a part of her was worried he'd have no idea what to do or think of it. How would the man she loved react to becoming a father? A few days had passed since she found out she was pregnant. Being a clone Val had no experience of family. No. That wasn't right. He had family experience, his brothers. But he didn't have experience in children or parents. A child was a step Way up.

Val put his arm over her back and gently rubbed it.

She moved back gently and looked up at him while putting her soft hand on his chest. Before she started she decided that she couldn't tell him now. She had to wait for the right opportunity. When they were inside tonight. But she saw on him that he knew she thought about saying something, and he wasn't going to let it go easily if she denied it. It was probably fitting to talk about something else.

"I can't stand farming, Val," she said in a whispering voice, not letting anyone else hear.

Val chuckled lightly.

"You mean jedi and farming don't go together? Go figure."

Her face turned into a disgruntled frown.

He sighed and looked up at the sky for a moment.

"Sorry honey. I know farming isn't your, or my deal, but what else can we do? We know the Empire won't look for us here. It's the perfect hiding spot in the Outer Rim," he argued.

"I can't live like this," she said in an almost desperate tone.

Although he could understand what she was coming from, they were safe in this place. As a soldier he didn't know anything about farming and he had to learn everything just like Sakiko. It was the reason why the backstory they told the villagers had been one of two bounty hunters setting down for some peace and quiet.

"What else would we do? Where would we go?"

Sakiko didn't have an answer. She just knew she didn't want to raise a baby here. She wanted more for their child. A good environment to grow up in. This definitely wasn't it.

"I don't know, just…not this."

"So are you two going to help or what?" An old man asked from a short distance away. He had a green tunic, brown pants and a big grey beard. He had a smirk on his face. Sakiko heard his wife tell him to leave the two lovebirds alone, but he waved it away. "You can love later, work more now, if you don't mind."

"Maybe we should continue this without an audience?"

Val nodded in agreement.

"Probably a good idea." He raised his hand at the man. "Apologize!"

The older man found his wife pushing him aside with a disgruntled face.

"Ignore Augean dearest," she waved at Val and Sakiko. "Don't you worry 'bout a thing. Your lovely wife deserves a break. Go inside and enjoy each other's company!"

That caused Val to blush.

"Eh, uh, no need-" he paused when Sakiko grabbed his arm firmly.

He looked at his sweaty wife and she had a firm glare on her face.

"If you decline I swear to the force I will hurt you."

With a nervous grin he took her hand and started walking back to their home. It had been there home for seven months now and they had actually become a part of this little community. And while Sakiko was sick of it, she knew she was lucky to be alive. Most of her old friends in the Order was dead, and if it wasn't for Val she knew she would have died on her Acclamator.

"Uh," she groaned when Val closed the hut door behind them. "I need a shower badly."

Val followed her to the bathroom door. He preceded to place his hands on her hips gently. She looked over her shoulder at met his gaze. He had a serious look in his brown eyes.

"Look…" the former Captain started. "…if, if you want to leave, just say where to go and we'll go. I know you can't stand a farmer's life and I love you too much to watch you suffer because of that. Tell me what we'll do to sustain ourselves, where to live and I'll follow you."

She turned around.

"I'm not your jedi general anymore. I'm your wife."

"I, I didn't mean it like that," he assured her. "If there's another place we can be safe and happy, I'll move there if you want to."

She took a deep breath. She locked eyes with Val and gathered the courage to tell him about her condition. She couldn't live with herself if she held back this from him. What would he think of her than when he eventually found out? Or when she started showing and hadn't told him yet.

"Val…you…we…" where to start. He held her hands softly. "…I am…err…I'm pregnant."

His eyes widened and after a moment passed he squeezed her hands harder.

Sakiko swallowed hard. "We're gonna be parents, Val."

His face showed shock, but nothing else. He was unreadable for his wife and she was too worried to pick up on his body language or read him through the force. He revealed a smile on his lips as joy filled his eyes. He pulled Sakiko into an embrace. A clear show of his emotions on what she told him. She drew a sigh of relief and hugged him back tightly.

"…We're going to be parents," he whispered overjoyed. "I…I never thought…me, a dad."

"I love you," she whispered emotionally.

"I love you too. I love you so much."


End file.
